ABOUT TRUST

MAITRI is a Non Profit volunteer-based organization from Pune- India. MAITRI's main strength is the volunteers from all over the world who contribute not only financially but contribute their time and skills towards social cause. Over the years MAITRI's volunteer base has touched to 50+ active members and more than 3000 volunteers who respond when the call is given.

MAITRI was born in 1997, when a group of young (yes some volunteers were as young as 70) volunteers resolved to iradicate Child Maortality and Malnutrition problem in Melghat- a tribal region of Amarawati District of Maharashtra State in India. Since then Melghat automatically became our core work area and we are now working for providing better Health, Education and Livelihood for the Korku tribes of Melghat. The name of this project is "Melghat Mitra"

The other projects on which MAITRI works are, 

• MAITRI in Emergency : Relief and rehabilitation during natural disiaters
• Radditun Saddi : Connecting with several households and fund raising by way of collecting old news papers
• MAITRI education - Palkar School Pune: Support students who need special attention in the municipalty by conducting Maths/ English classes

 

MAITRI's basic tenet is "Volunteerism". Volunteers are the pillars of MAITRI's organization structure. They decide, plan, execute and own all the programs and activities of MAITRI. They bring with them the passion and empathy to address the cause. Even the members of the  Trustee Board of MAITRI are basically the volunteers of MAITRI.

The core principles we believe in are,

• Every activity has to have a participation from volunteers and the volunteers group shpuld own it.
• Trustees are the custodian of our donor's funds and are responsible for legal, ethical issues.
• No trustte or the volunteer is benificiary in any sense. This ensures that MAITRI's manment overheads are kept to a minimum and donors funds are optimaly efficiently utilized for the project.
• Don't simply give but empower the ones who are in need.
• The benificialries should participate in the project.
• Collect small but regular donations from large number of individual donors. In addition to fund raising this ensures that MAITRI reaches several homes and encurages them to volunteer.

Over 3,500 individuals from Maharashtra and all over the world have volunteered with MAITRI until today. These `friends of Maitri’ are common citizens – students, housewives, senior managers and professionals in their personal lives. When they contribute their time in Maitri, they bring with them their skills, knowledge and professional expertise to the particular social cause they are involved in. They connect their social circle to the cause, bringing additional social as well as financial resources.

Maitri volunteers meet every Tuesday at a fixed time and venue for the last 20 years. They exchange ideas, talk about common concerns, make plans and share and learn from each other’s experiences.

Contact us to know how you can contribute towards MAITRI's cause

Melghat Mitra: This is the campaign name for Maitri’s work in Melghat, a region of two blocks Chikhaldara and Dharni. Maitri works in 40 villages of Chikhaldara taluka, with a focus on health care and awareness, education support, governance and community empowerment.

• Health care is provided and monitored with the help of Arogya Maitrin (village level health worker) who supports and guides pregnant women through their pregnancy and child birth. She provides simple treatment in the village for diarrhoea, cold, fever, bruises and other injuries, etc. and ensures that difficult cases are referred to the government health centre. Health education is continuously taken up along with aanganwadi sevikas and ASHA worker and the annual Dhadak Mohim, Maitri’s signature monsoon campaign.

 

As a result of Maitri’s work,

 

• the child mortality rate has reduced from 126 to 69;
• The number of couples going in for family planning operations has increased, the number of children per family are down from 8 to 3, thus ensuring better care for the children in each family;
• The number of deliveries in the PHC has increased significantly;
• The number of people accessing health care centres has increased;
• The marriage age for girls has improved.

 

• Admission of every single child is ensured in primary schools and efforts are made to ensure that these children are retained in the education system. These efforts include running Abhyas Warga - support classes with the help of local youth or Gav Mitra, meetings with parents and follow-up of children who drop out. Coordination is maintained with the education department to ensure that schools run and absenteeism of teachers is checked. Financial support is provided for continuing college education by way of Vidya Nidhi.

 

As a result of Maitri’s work,

 

• The number of children enrolling in schools has increased and parents are taking interest in their children’s education;
• More and more children are completing schooling and are going in for higher secondary schooling as well as degree and diploma courses;
• The number of girls in schools and those completing their schooling has also increased;
• Better education has impacted every other aspect of life for the Korku.

 

• Awareness and empowerment is the backbone of Maitri’s work in Melghat. Maitri encourages and supports the Korku people to avail government benefits and demand their rights. This is done by improving governance through local village bodies and other committees, participating in Gram Sabhas, demanding accountability of government representatives, officers and staff and availing of various government schemes and benefits. Towards this, Maitri provides the necessary information, exposure and training.

 

As a result of Maitri’s work,

 

• Gram Sabhas are held regularly and participation in Gram Sabhas has increased significantly;
• The people are better organised, quick to form groups and demand their rights or seek redress at any wrong or injustice.

This program is run by local Korku youth, supported by Maitri’s volunteers across Maharashtra and the world.

Our Motives

1. Social Change Through Volunteerism - Find and create opportunities for everyone to contribute towards society in his/her own strength, time and skill.

2. To work towards eradicating malnutrition and poverty related sufferings by educating people, increasing awareness personal and social hygiene/health, creating opportunities for livelihood generation.

3. Respond immediately to natural calamities happening in our nation. Provide immediate help needed and then identify a part to support on a long term basis so that the people come out from calamity and start living a regular life.

4. Carry out relief and development work for people to live with personal dignity.

Core Team

Statutory Documents
Registration Certificate

80 G Certificate

FCRA